Method and apparatus for using reagents in the refining of petroleum



E. H. L'ESUE.

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR USING REAGENIS m THE REFINING 0F APPLlCATtONFILED SEPT. 25. 1911.

PETROLEUM OILS.

Patented J uly 15, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

THE CDLUMIUA E'LANOEIRAPH co., WASHINGTON, D. c.

jaw. 111-0 7 E. H. LESLIE.

METHOQAND APPARATUS FOR USING REAGENTS IN THE REHNING 0F PETROLEUM OILS.APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 25. 19!].

1,310,164. Patented July 15, 1919.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

THE COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH to. wAslimo'rou, n. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EUGENE H. LESLIE, 01 LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO GENERAL PETRO-LE'UM CORPORATION, A CORPORATION 01 CALIFORNIA.

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR USING REAGENTS IN THE DEFINING OF PETROLEUMOIIB.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J uly 15, 1919.

Application filed September 25, 1917. Serial No. 193,199.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EUGENE H. LESLIE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State ofCalifornia, have invented a new and useful Method and Apparatus forUsing Reagents in the Refining of Petroleum Oils, of which the followingis a s ecification.

The invention consists in t e construction and novel arrangementandcombination of parts hereinafter described, illustrated in theaccompanying drawings and pointed out in the claims hereunto appended.

My invention relates to the art of refining petroleum oils. In that art,it is common practice to subject the oil to the action of variousreagents, such as acids and alkalis.

The principal object of my invention is to provide a method by which theamount of said acidsand alkalis which is required for the refining of agiven'body of oil may be greatly reduced.

A further object of the invention is to provide an apparatus which canbe readily manipulated to produce considerable savings in the amount ofreagent used.

Referring to the drawings, which are for illustrative purposes only:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a preferred embodiment oi my apparatus.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same apparatus.

Fig. 3 is a section on a plane represented by the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. dis an elevation, partly in section, showingsthe nozzle used in myinvention.

In the apparatus shown in these drawings, an acidrtank 11, an acid washtank 12, an alkali tank. 13,. and an alkali wash tank 14 areshown. Anacid sludge receptacle 15 and an alkali receptacle lfi are also shown.the fluids from the various apparatus being handled through aprimarypump 17 and a secondary. pump 18. The oil to be treat d is dmittedthrough a pipe 19 and the treated oil is removed through a pipe 20. Airunder pressure-may be admitted to the receptacle 15 through a pipe 21controlled by a valve 22, and acid may be admitted to the receptacle15;through apipe 23 controlled by .a valve Water may be supplied to thetanks 12 and 14. .through a pipe 25. 1 l

The acid tank 11 consists of a tight shell having a top 30 into which anacid pipe 31 connects, this acid pipe 31 being-connected through a union32 with a pipe 33 terminating in a nozzle 34 having small openingstherein as shown in Fig. 4. The pipe 33 passes through a stufiing box 35secured in a nipple 36 secured in the top of the tank 30, the parts 32to 36 being best shown in Fig. 4. A safety valve 37 arranged to openwhen subjected to predecided upon pressure is also provided in the top30. The bottom of the tank 11 connects through a fitting 38 with an oildrainage pipe 39 in which a valve 40 is placed.

The fitting 38 also connects with the re ceptacle 15 through an acidsludge pipe 41 having a valve 42. The acid sludge pipe 41 connects intothe top of the receptacle 15 which is in the form of a tight shellhaving a gage glass 43 on the side thereof. Connected into the bottom ofthe receptacle 15 is a fitting 44 which connects with a pipe 45 having avalve 46 therein and with a drain pipe 47 having a valve 48 therein. Thepipe 47 discharges into a drain 49. The pipe 45 connects with the acidpipe 31 previously described.

The pipe 39 is connected through a pipe 50 having a valve 51, with asuction fitting 52 on the primary pump 17. The oil supply pipe 19 isconnected through a valve 100 with a fitting 101 which is connected withthe suction fitting 52 through a valve 53. A pipe 55 which connects intothe top of the acid tank 11 is connected to the fitt1ng 101 through avalve 54. The pipe 39 is also connected through a valve 56 with apressure pipe 57 connected to the pressure side of the pump 17. i Thepressure pipe 57 isalso connected through a valve 58 with a pipe 59connected to a perforated pipe 102' in the bottom of the acid wash tank12. l

The acid wash tank 12 consists of a tight shell having a gage glass 60near the bottom thereof and having a top 61* into which a nozzle 62projects, this nozzle beingsimilar to that shown inFig. 4 and beinconnected through a valve with the water ipe 25.

Headers63 are connected into all t ree of the'tanks 12 13 and 14. Theheaders 63 are carried up for a considerable distance, and

sprayed down through the body of the oil. The alkali settling on thebottom of the tank 13, as indicated by the gage glass 73, can be drawnout from time to time by closing the valves 80 and 7 6 and opening thevalves 82 and 78, the alkali being thus returned to the alkali reservoir16 by means of the pump 18. Fresh alkali can be introduced at any timeinto the top of the reservoir 16. Sludge may be withdrawn from thebottom of the tank 12 at any time and passed into the drain 49 throughthe pipe 70 by means of the valve 71.

The oil delivered to the alkali tank 13 through the pipe 72 in turnpushes oil out from the top of that tank through the pipe 84 into thealkali wash tank 14 which is exactly similar in construction to the tank12 previously described. In the alkali wash tank 14, the oil which hasbeen treated with the alkali is forced upwardly in a finely dividedstate through water contained therein, leaving through the pipe 20 as afinished product. Sludge is withdrawn and passed into the drain 49through the pipe 89 by a suitable manipulation of the valve 90. Freshwater may be introduced into the tank 14 through the pipe 86 by asuitable manipulation of the valve 87.

What I claim is:

1. A method of using reagents in the treating of an oil which is lighterthan the reagents, comprising the following steps: first, confining theoil to be treated in a closed vessel; second, passing the reagentdownwardly through the oil in said vessel; third, collecting the reagentand the sludge formed by the reagent in the bottom of the vessel;fourth, passing the material so collected through the oil so confined;and, fifth, continuously withdrawing oil from the top of said vessel andinjecting it into the bottom thereof.

2. An apparatus for using reagents in the treatment of oil, comprising aclosed vessel, pipe means for delivering a supply of oil to said vessel,a reagent pipe through which the reagent is delivered to the top of saidvessel, a reagent receptacle into-which the reagent or sludge formedtherefrom in said vessel may be passed, means for forcing said reagentor sludge from said receptacle into said reagent pipe, and means forcontinuously circulating the oil to be treated through said closedvessel.

3. An apparatus for using reagents in the treatment of oil comprising aclosed vessel, pipe means for delivering a supply of oil to said vessel,a reagent pipe through which reagent is delivered to the top of saidvessel, a reagent receptacle into which the reagent or sludge formedtherefrom in said vessel may be passed, means for forcing said reagentor sludge from said receptacle into said reagent pipe, a circulatingpump, pipe means connecting the suction of said pump into said closedvessel near the top thereof, and pipe means connecting the pressure sideof said pump to the lower portion of said vessel.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Los Angeles,California, this 15th day of September, 1917.

EUGENE H. LESLIE.

coplel n! this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe "Commissioner of intents, Washington, D. 0.

